Trigger: Chantix commercial

[Mertzie]

I'm glad to see that Chantix is helping so many people to quit, but their commerical sure is a trigger for me. I've been smoke-free for 1 yr, 8mos. Once I got through my first several months, I haven't had any cravings... until yesterday when that ad with the turtle and rabbit came on. I don't know what it was about the closeup shot of the burning cig, but I could not take my eyes off it. I immediately started remembering what a cigarette felt like between my fingers, and trying to remember what was like to take a long drag. I had a reflex response when I saw that image of the bent burning cig, just as if I were still a smoker and accidently bent my own just-lit cigarette. Does that commercial affect anyone else like that, or am I just losing it?

[kelsh]

Hi Mertzie,

I am finding commercials and ads in magazines of cigarettes with a burning end or broken in half a reminder of how much I enjoyed smoking. Then I have to remember how hard it was for me to quit...which was four years ago. Walking past someone that is smoking with the smell of the smoke... still smells good.

They do a lot of advertising for quit smoking products but I am amazed how promotional they still are regarding smoking.

Good luck to you! Keep up the good work!

kelsh

[karrotop]

hi all..speaking of television...when i was smoking...39 days ago,the anti-smoking commercials used to really bother me....because,odds were,that i was having a cigarette at the time....
now that i have quit,i really enjoy them,and use them for motivation...the one that got me to quit in the 1st place was the one where the woman was having surgery,getting the plaque removed from the blood vessel in her neck...and then they show her with a cigarette in her mouth...they showed all the plaque that they removed....ugh.
the chantix commercial really isn't very motivational,if you ask me....but i am taking it now,and it's working very well for me.
stay a non-smoker.....KT

[Mertzie]

It is odd that they use these images of burning cigarettes in anti-smoking advertising. I was also lured by the smell of cigarettes for a long time, kelsh. That took me months to get over. The smell still grabs my attention, but I don't find it tempting like I did the first year. I feel pretty good about staying a non-smoker. You're right, I sure don't want to go through the struggles of trying to quit again, either. When I need an incentive, I just take a deep breath of clean air, and I'm reminded of how I don't want to go back to living with that constant, hacking cough.

I agree, karrotop, there are much more motivational images in some of the other advertisments, though I haven't seen the ad you mentioned about the surgery. I'm glad the Chantix is helping you. I've heard a lot of positive reviews of the product. Keep it up!

I was kind of blind-sided by that image in the commercial. It was a good reminder that I can't let my guard down. I just have to recognize that I'm going to have that kind of reaction and remember next time to turn away or switch the channel.

[barb dwyer]

bummer. I don't really watch tv. Except for Family Guy. Other than that - it's pretty much PBS for me. Sorry. But it makes me glad I didn't see it.